The present invention relates in general to cable handling and more particularly concerns novel apparatus and techniques for handling cables interconnecting rotating and fixed components in an X-ray scanner in a manner that facilitates scanning back and forth many times while always keeping the interconnecting cables neatly dressed and free from damaging mechanical strains with a reliably operating mechanical structure relatively free from complexity and relatively easy and inexpensive to assemble and maintain.
A typical computer tomography system for obtaining X-ray cross section images of a patient includes a rotor assembly carrying an X-ray tube and other electromechanical devices. Exchanging electrical signals between fixed and rotating assemblies presents a problem because the moving X-ray tube requires high d-c potentials at significant current levels, and signals produced on the rotor assembly for processing by fixed components may be at relatively low levels. The use of relatively rotating contacts, such as brushes and slip rings, presents problems because of the potential for arcing at the high potentials and noise being introduced in low level signal paths. While these problems are overcome by using direct connections through cables, there are other problems in connection with properly dressing the cables during relative movement between the members.
Accordingly, it is an important object of the invention to provide an improved cable handling mechanism for use with an X-ray tomographic scanner.
It is another object of the invention to achieve the preceding object while overcoming one or more of the problems set forth above.
It is a further object of the invention to achieve one or more of the preceding objects with a structure that is relatively easy and inexpensive to assemble and maintain.
It is a further object of the invention to achieve one or more of the preceding objects with a mechanically compact assembly that adds only slightly to the weight and volume of the scanner and may be conveniently accommodated.